Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I install the ShowerStick in MY TYPE OF SHOWER (for our international customers and domestic customers with unusual shower setups)?
If you have a shower with a long vertical rod mounted to the wall (like most of our international customers), you can usually install the ShowerStick with some modifications. Below are some photos sent to us by our wonderful customers to help give you an idea how you can install the ShowerStick. As you can see in the photos, you’ll need 2 hoses. The ShowerStick comes with a hose (the white one) and you can use your existing hose. It’s best to use our hose attached to the bottom of the ShowerStick to ensure it will drain properly during regeneration. You’ll also see that cords, ropes or zip ties (nylon string such as Home Depot’s “Twisted Nylon Mason’s Line” will also work) have been used to secure the ShowerStick. You can use different items, but the most important thing of course is that you set it up so it’s secure. And we’d love it if you sent us a photo of how you end up installing yours!
Note: If you decide to order, we need your approval of our International Shipping Terms before we ship your order. Please see the Shipping page on our website for detailed information.
2. What’s the Best SALT to Use for Regenerating, and Is It Okay to Use Water Softener Salt?
The best salt to use for regenerating your ShowerStick is plain or iodized table salt (such as Morton’s or any store brand). These salts are fine-grain and dissolve easily in water, ensuring the most effective regeneration of the resin inside the ShowerStick.
Why Not Use Other Types of Salt?
- Sea Salt, Kosher Salt, Rock Salt, and Softener Salt are all course in texture and do not dissolve as efficiently in water. As a result, they won’t perform as well in regenerating the resin.
Why Shouldn’t I Use Water Softener Salt?
Water softener salt is made for whole-house water softening systems and typically comes in chips or pellets. This type of salt:
- Doesn’t dissolve well: These large grains can’t break down easily to create the saltwater solutions to regenerate the ShowerStick.
- Contains impurities: Water softener salt often contains dirt, sediment, and other contaminants, which can clog or damage your ShowerStick.
- Can damage the resin filter: The resin filter inside the regeneration port is designed to keep the resin in place. Adding coarse salt chips or pellets can prevent the salt from reaching the resin properly and may even damage the ShowerStick.
Key Takeaway:
- Only use granulated, fine-grain salts like iodized or plain table salt for regenerating your ShowerStick.
- Do not use water softener salt (chips or pellets), as it can cause damage and won’t effectively regenerate the resin.
3. Can I use my EXISTING SHOWER HEAD with the ShowerStick?
We recommend using the shower head that comes with the ShowerStick because it doesn’t have any switches (on/off, massage, etc) which can sometimes create a back pressure issue. What this means is that when you put the shower head on the floor of the shower to regenerate, some shower heads with switches or massagers won’t allow all of the water to flow out of the ShowerStick in order for you to then be able to pour all of the salt water inside. You can try a different shower head to see if it will work. Remove the regeneration port cap then lay the shower head on the floor and see if the water drains at a steady pace without any resistance (takes about 2 minutes). Then pour your salt solution inside to regenerate. If when you are slowly pouring the salt water inside it starts to back up and not let you pour it in at a steady pace as it flows out the shower head, then you know you either need to use the shower head that came with the ShowerStick or remove yours each time you regenerate.
*NOTE: If you choose to use your own shower head when you install the ShowerStick, you’ll need to remove the flow restrictor with needle nose pliers or tweezers. Otherwise, it can become clogged with the tiniest of the resin beads or broken resin beads that initially flow through. And you don’t need the flow restrictor in the shower head because we add one to the mount.
4. How can I purchase the Showerstick if the website says it's OUT OF STOCK?
Our ShowerSticks go live for purchase every day at 10 AM PST (California Time). Due to high demand, they typically sell out within 30 to 60 minutes. However, if you’re on our website right at 10 AM, you should be able to secure one.
Please note: You may need to refresh your browser a few times around 10 AM for stock to appear. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
All ShowerSticks are handmade daily, and due to limited production capacity, we have a set number available each day. Thank you for your understanding and continued support!
5. Will the ShowerStick REDUCE MY WATER PRESSURE?
Most of our customers don’t experience a reduction of water pressure after installing the ShowerStick. If your water pressure before adding the ShowerStick is unusually high (more than 3.2 gpm) then you might notice a difference depending on how much higher it is. But keep in mind that the lower your water pressure is, the more soft water you’ll get between regenerations. Our KDF filter does not affect the water pressure.
6. Water PRESSURE issue
If you just installed your ShowerStick, but either no water flows through or only a trickle does:
- Did you remove the red air plugs from each end of the ShowerStick?
- One of the washers in the assembly might have folded over and isn’t lying flat. Check the washers inside the KDF filter (if you have one), each end of the hoses, and the mount.
If you just installed your ShowerStick, but your water pressure is now too high:
- Please contact us.
If you’ve suddenly experienced a loss or reduction of water pressure:
- If you have a KDF filter, or any other type of filter installed, it might be clogged. Remove it to see if that fixes the issue.
- If the issue occurred during the first couple weeks of installing the ShowerStick, and you’re using a different shower head than the one that came with the ShowerStick, remove the flow restrictor from the head with needle nose pliers or tweezers. You don’t need one in the head because we add one in the mount. We don’t add it to the head because any broken or tiny resin beads that initially escape the resin filter when you first use the ShowerStick, can get stuck in the flow restrictor which can greatly reduce the pressure. If this doesn’t help, keep the shower head removed from the hose and run the water to see if the pressure is okay. If not, then the head is clogged. Soak it in white vinegar overnight and if it’s still a problem, the head will need to be replaced.
- Check to see if there’s still an issue with the pressure without the ShowerStick installed. (Note: If you have the hanger installed with the ShowerStick, you don’t need to remove the hanger and ShowerStick, only the hose from the bottom of the ShowerStick.)
7. Do you sell REPLACEMENT PARTS for the ShowerStick?
Yes, all components to the ShowerStick can be found on our website’s Store page.
8. How often does the optional KDF FILTER need to be replaced?
The KDF filter should be replaced annually if two people are using the shower. However, if you start to notice the presence of chlorine in the water or detect a chlorine smell, it’s a sign that the filter needs to be replaced sooner. Regularly replacing the filter helps protect the resin inside the ShowerStick, ensuring it performs well and lasts longer.
9. Do KDF filters or any other types of shower filters soften water?
No! These filters mainly remove chlorine. They do not remove calcium or magnesium (hard water minerals) which are known for causing skin, scalp, and hair dryness, and other issues. They can only be inexpensively removed with a water softener such as our salt regenerated resin-based shower water softener – the ShowerStick! (Note: If you use a hard water test kit or strips after installing a ‘filter’, you’ll see no difference in the hardness of the water.)
10. How should I STORE MY SHOWERSTICK?
Regenerate, then run water through it for a couple minutes to drain out most of the salt. Keep your ShowerStick full of water so the resin stays moist. All 3 openings need to be sealed so air doesn’t get inside to dry out and kill the resin. Keep the regeneration port cap attached and seal each end with our red air plugs (available on our website’s Store page), or anything that will keep air from getting inside and won’t damage anything.
Tips:
- Don’t store the ShowerStick somewhere where it will freeze and don’t store it in temperatures above 120 degrees.
- Don’t leave the hose attached to the bottom of the ShowerStick because it will leave the bottom fitting susceptible to breakage. Also, don’t leave anything attached to the top fitting of the ShowerStick.
- If the ShowerStick is full of water when you store it, but you forget to seal off the ends, it will take a while for all the water to evaporate and for the resin to then dry out and die. It depends on the external temperature and the amount of water left inside. To find out if your resin is okay, shake it up inside the ShowerStick, regenerate, then use a hardness test kit or test strips to determine if it’s still softening the water (remember to run the water for 2 minutes after regenerating and before testing to rinse out most of the salt so it won’t get picked up on the test, since salt is also a mineral).
- If your installed ShowerStick isn’t used for a few months, it might be okay. The only place for air to get inside is through the small holes in the shower head, so it would take a while for enough air to get inside and evaporate all the water and dry out the resin. It’s best if someone can run water through it for a minute at least every couple of months.
Before re-installing the ShowerStick, you should shake up the resin to loosen it up. Please watch our Installation video on our website so you won’t have any issues when re-installing.
11. Does the ShowerStick or the KDF filter remove CHLORAMINES?
Chloramine is a combination of ammonia and chlorine and when combined, forms a very strong bond. To remove chloramines from your water, this bond must be broken, then both the ammonia and chlorine need to be filtered. A softener can’t do this, and neither can a shower filter. A whole house filtration system that contains a very large volume of catalytic carbon (much more than the volume that fits inside a shower filter) would need to be installed. According to the chloramine.org FACTS page, “There is NO certified showerhead filter to remove chloramine”. Unfortunately, it’s just not possible.
12. How will I know when to REGENERATE & how do I REGENERATE?
0 – 3 grains = soft water, so you should regenerate to keep the water in this range. Follow the instructions on the test strips package.
1. Remove the regeneration port cap and place the shower head/hose on the floor to drain the water.
2. Add 1 cup of *table salt to a 1-liter bottle of tap water and shake well to dissolve the salt.
3. Slowly pour the saltwater into the regeneration port, allowing it to drain out through the head/hose.
4. Replace the shower head/hose in the mount and re-attach the regeneration port cap.
• Note: The *table salt can be plain or iodized, Morton’s or any store brand. Other types of salt should not
be used. See our website’s FAQs page for more information.
14. TDS METERS – why should they not be used to check for hardness with the ShowerStick?
TDS consists of hard water minerals plus all other dissolved solids in the water (dirt, sediment, etc.). Water softeners, whether it’s a whole house unit or the ShowerStick, remove calcium and magnesium hard water minerals, but not all the other dissolved solids in the water. Therefore, a TDS reading will always be higher than a hardness reading. So, when testing for hardness, you need to use a hardness test (ours or anyone else’s) but not a TDS meter. To remove TDS, you need to use a very different type of resin which isn’t potable (drinkable), so it can’t be used in a shower, and you can’t regenerate it with salt water. This type of resin is used along with softening resin when washing vehicles, windows, solar panels, etc. because then you don’t have to worry about any spots at all (you don’t even have to towel dry). It’s not possible to remove the other dissolved solids, only calcium and magnesium in your shower alone. The very most you can filter in your shower alone is hard water minerals (with a shower softener) and chlorine and some microorganisms (with a KDF shower filter). If you want anything else removed in your shower water, you’d need to install a whole house filtration system and the type would be dependent upon what you want filtered from the water. For more information, you can search online for “does a water softener remove TDS”.
15. I haven’t received an email with my TRACKING number.
Please check your spam/junk folder. If you can’t find it, check to see if the email address you indicated on your order is correct. If it isn’t, please contact us to let us know the correct email address and we’ll send your tracking information.
16. SHIPPING information: How long does it take for my order to ship?
We usually ship the next business day.
17. I think the RESIN DRIED OUT inside my ShowerStick because I STORED it without sealing all the openings. How can I tell if my resin is okay?
Shake up the ShowerStick to loosen the resin, then regenerate and use a hardness test kit or strips to see if the water is soft.
18. Do you ship to my COUNTRY, and what is the cost?
Please see our Shipping Policies page for a list of countries we ship to and the cost.
19. If You’re Having Issues Ordering with Your Credit Card:
- Select PayPal at Checkout
- When you reach the payment screen, select PayPal as your payment method (even if you’re using a credit card).
- Proceed to the Next Screen
- After selecting PayPal, you’ll be redirected to a screen where you can enter your credit card details directly. This allows you to use your credit card without needing a PayPal account. Click on the link to pay “With Debit or Credit Card”
20. I’m needing to REGENERATE more FREQUENTLY than I thought I’d need to. Can you let me know why?
The frequency at which you need to regenerate your ShowerStick is largely determined by the hardness of your water and your water pressure.
- Water Hardness:
- The average water hardness in the U.S. is about 10 grains per gallon.
- However, if you live in California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, or other areas with extremely hard water (14+ grains), your water is likely much harder. This means you’ll need to regenerate the ShowerStick more often. For a more detailed breakdown of regeneration times based on water hardness, refer to the chart on our ShowerStick page.
- Many countries outside the U.S. (like Canada and the UK) also usually have very hard or extremely hard water, so the same applies there.
- Water Pressure:
- Your water pressure also affects how often regeneration is needed. So the higher your water pressure, the more often you’ll need to regenerate.
- If you’d like to reduce your water pressure to conserve your soft water temporarily while you’re shaving or shampooing for example, you can install a Flow Control Valve (available in our store) which installs between your shower head and hose.
- Be sure to keep the green flow restrictor inserted in the female end of the mount that comes with the ShowerStick. It will limit the flow to 1.8 gpm.
- How to Determine Your Water Hardness:
- Your local water district should provide an online annual Water Quality Report, but your water could be harder than what’s reported. To get an accurate measure, try a Hardness Test Kit made by Hach, which is available online.
- How Water Hardness Affects Regeneration:
- For example, if your water hardness is 14 grains, you’ll get about 41 minutes of soft water before needing regeneration. For 10 grains, you’ll get about 60 minutes. Please see the chart on our ShowerStick page.
- Why You Need to Regenerate More Often:
- The ShowerStick is a compact unit designed for individual showers, which limits the amount of resin it can hold. While a whole-house softener can last for weeks between regenerations, the ShowerStick’s smaller size requires more frequent regenerations to keep your water soft.
- Tips for Efficient Regeneration and Conserving Soft Water:
- Use Table Salt: Always use plain or iodized table salt (e.g., Morton’s or any store brand). Avoid coarse salts (like sea salt, kosher salt, or water softener salt), as they don’t dissolve well (and water softener salt contains sediment which only a whole house softener is able to remove.
- Salt Dissolution: If there’s some undissolved salt at the bottom of your regeneration bottle, it’s normal. Just add a little more water, shake, and pour. Warm or hot water will dissolve salt faster—but don’t use boiling water.
- Use the Right Amount: For regeneration, use one cup of table salt in one liter of water. This concentration is necessary for optimal ion exchange of the resin.
- Use a Flow Control Valve: Add our Flow Control Valve to conserve soft water by temporarily lowering water pressure while shaving or lathering. It installs between the shower head and hose.
- Regenerate When Needed: You can regenerate at any time, depending on how soft you want the water. Some users with extremely hard water (e.g., 20-30 grains) might regenerate when the hardness reaches 6 grains, while others with sensitive skin (e.g., eczema) might prefer regenerating when hardness is around 1-2 grains. But most people regenerate by 3 grains, since soft water is 0-3 grains.
- Regeneration Reminder Tip: If you’re showering and the water starts to feel like it’s not as soft anymore, after showering, lay the shower head/hose on the floor as a reminder to regenerate before your next shower.
- How to Tell When to Regenerate:
- Test Strips: If the test strip turns yellow, the water is soft. If it starts to show the orange color, it’s time to regenerate.
- Feel and Lather: Over time, you’ll also notice when the water feels less “slippery” or when soap/shampoo doesn’t lather as well. These are signs that regeneration is needed.
21. Does the ShowerStick soften the water like a whole house water softener?
Yes, it uses the same resin beads and technology (“ion exchange”) as any salt based water softener and provides the same quality soft water for your shower as any softener can.
22. Why do companies claim their shower filter can soften water if it really can’t?
We decided to post this Q&A because we’ve been asked this question countless times by people who have become frustrated after spending a lot of money on various shower filters that don’t give them the results they’re looking for. To soften water, you need to use a large volume of resin, much larger than would ever fit inside a filter the size of your hand. Even if resin was ever put inside a filter cartridge, it would be such a small amount that it would only soften the water for a few minutes then it would never soften water again since you wouldn’t be able to regenerate it. Many people have been misled because when some of these companies set up their listings they include keywords or phrases such as “soft water”, “soft water effects”, “soft skin”, etc. and you’ll end up on their site or listing thinking that’s what their product does. But it doesn’t. And many people aren’t aware of what soft water really is or that filters don’t in any way soften water or that there’s more to improving your water quality other than just filtering it. Unfortunately, there are companies who take advantage of people and aren’t always truthful regarding what their product can do (and some of them don’t really understand what the product they’re selling does). They want to sell their product plain and simple. You can challenge them and ask, “If I use a hardness test with your filter, will it show it’s removing hard water minerals like calcium and magnesium?” If their response is “yes” and you take a chance and buy it but find out otherwise, will they pay for return shipping if you decide to return it (which could be expensive international shipping) if their posted return policy says they won’t? Even the largest internet retail company in the world (no need to mention their name) won’t do anything about the companies who sell on their site and falsely advertise what their product can do. (This company doesn’t even require their sellers to show where their products are being shipped from.) So, it’s hard to know who to trust and what information (especially on the internet) is true or accurate. But we as consumers must do the best we can to do research and educate ourselves prior to making purchases and we need to do what we can to be sure a company is legitimate. Otherwise, we may end up getting ripped off. Luckily there are companies that exist who really care about helping people and giving honest and accurate information, and we are one of them. We will always answer your questions thoroughly and give you examples or information to backup what we’re saying. For example, if you aren’t convinced that a shower filter isn’t capable of softening water, we’d let you know that you can use any hard water test kit and it will show no difference in the hardness of water after you add a filter. Only a softener can do so. And only if it’s a softener that’s regenerated with salt water (works via Ion Exchange). There are two ways to soften the water in a shower: install a whole house water softener or a portable shower water softener, like the ShowerStick: ShowerStick
23. Why is the ShowerStick more expensive than a shower filter?
Although the ShowerStick costs more to purchase initially than a shower filter, it costs a lot less in the long run. Think about how much you spend yearly on shower filters and multiply that number by 10. Ten years is the average lifespan of the ShowerStick, so it ends up costing far less over a 10-year period and it does so much more than a filter. It also contains more than 10 times the amount of material than what’s inside a shower filter. And, included with the ShowerStick is a handheld shower head and hose, a shower arm mount (the cradle that holds the head) and test strips.
24. Does the ShowerStick remove IRON?
Soluble iron (ferrous iron – which is clear) is likely to be removed by a softener, but “precipitated” iron (ferric iron – which is a rusty brown orange color) often slips right through the resin. If the pH of the water is below 7, a softener will likely remove iron but if it’s over 7, results may not be good since ferrous iron converts to ferric iron faster in higher pH water. If the pH is above 7, you should consult with a water treatment company who can test your water and make recommendations based on the results. If you purchase the ShowerStick and you have a lot of iron in your water, we recommend that you backwash the resin more frequently than normally required. For backwashing instructions, please see our FAQ page.
25. How should I DISPOSE of the ShowerStick and KDF filter?
The resin inside the ShowerStick does not require any special handling and can be disposed of in a standard trash receptacle along with the ShowerStick body and other parts. The KDF filter housing is recyclable and the media inside the filter is environmentally sound and 100 percent recyclable.
26. Why does soft water feel slippery?
Resin beads inside softeners are regenerated with salt water, and saltier water feels more slippery, like the feel of ocean water on your skin. And with the absence of hard water minerals like calcium and magnesium, this effect is more prominent. You may need some time to get used to it if you’ve never had a softener before. Although it feels like soaps are difficult to wash away since your skin feels “slick” or “slippery”, your skin is actually rinsed of soap right away.
According to the USGS Water Science School, “When using soft water, your skin has that slippery feeling even after extensive rinsing. You might think you cannot rinse off all the soap on your skin, but actually you are cleaner than if you used hard water! You are feeling hydrated skin, not skin with a soapy residue.” https://water.usgs.gov/edu/qa-chemical-soap.html
A good way to prove this is by doing the bathtub test. If you take a bath and wash with soap in hard water versus soft water, you’ll end up with a bathtub ring if you use hard water but not if you use soft water. This is explained in more detail on Culligan Water’s website: https://www.culliganmidmissouri.com/resources/water-quality/why-is-soft-water-so-slippery/
Also, when using soft water you should use about 50% less soap and shampoo since they lather that much better in soft water. Most soaps and shampoos are made to be used with hard water since most people have hard water. To get these soaps to lather well in hard water, harsh chemicals are added to them such as sulfates. But when you have soft water, you don’t need these added chemicals since these products lather much better in soft water. So, it’s recommended that soap bars with natural ingredients or clear liquid soaps that are free of perfumes, dyes and other harsh chemicals are used with soft water. Here’s a source for more information about this: https://www.martinwater.com/service-tips/how-to-use-soft-water/
27. Why won't the ShowerStick allow me to pour any salt water inside the regeneration port?
If you installed a flow control valve, please check to be sure it isn’t set to the off position. If this isn’t the issue, please contact us.
28. Can I purchase a ShowerStick in retail stores?
We only sell wholesale direct to you via our website.
29. Do you offer EXPEDITED SHIPPING?
We’re very sorry, but we don’t currently offer expedited shipping for domestic shipments.
30. What do I need to do if my water supply gets turned off?
When you turn your water back on after its been off for maintenance, repairs, etc., it usually comes through in a high pressure spray. This can cause any dirt, sediment, etc. in the plumbing system to break free and cause clogs/blockages in your fixtures. For this reason, it’s important to first turn the water on at all faucets except the one where your ShowerStick is located (or, you can remove the ShowerStick and KDF filter (if installed) prior to the water being turned off). Leave the faucets on until the water runs clear. If you forget to do this, then you should backwash the resin inside the ShowerStick, the media inside the KDF filter (if installed) and clean out your shower head, hose, and mount. Backwashing instructions can be found at the bottom of this page.
31. How much sodium (salt) is added to the water by the ShowerStick?
If you drank an 8 oz. glass of softened water you’d consume approximately 12.5 mg of sodium (approx. 200 mg per gallon). By comparison, 1 Alka Seltzer tablet contains 445 mg of sodium and one can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup contains about 2225 mg of sodium. However, you aren’t using the water from the ShowerStick as your drinking water. Therefore, only very trace amounts of sodium seep into your skin when showering in softened water.
32. How do I BACKWASH my resin?
For ShowerStick BACKWASHING instructions: Click here»